Arizona Dept of Commerce Faces Catastrophic Cuts

AZIGG is an important partner of the Arizona Department of Commerce. We wanted to provide you with an important budget update. This content is supplied by the Arizona Dept of Commerce.

During this unprecedented time of financial hardship for the state, when Arizona is facing a budget deficit of roughly $4 billion, the budget released by Governor Brewer on June 1st reflects a commitment to the health and welfare of Arizona’s business community, while continuing to be sensitive to the financial realities of our state.

The Arizona State Legislature recently passed a budget that slates Commerce for a $2 million general fund reduction as well as additional line item reductions. This cut would be crippling to Commerce and would mean an immediate ceasing of many programs vital to the business of Arizona and our ability to recover from this economic downtown.

In fact, the Legislature's reductions result in over a 50% reduction in staff and resources, including those from business attraction, community development, innovation and technology, and tax credit programs. This essential “shut-down” of services would mean that Arizona is the ONLY state in the country without a state level business attraction team dedicated to recruiting companies and creating jobs.

In stark contrast, although the Governor’s budget requires Commerce to forego $2 million, the managerial constraints of funds are removed and the $2 million comes from various funding streams, not just the general fund. This flexibility allows Commerce to continue to staff and fund its important programs. Also included in the Governor’s budget is a requirement that Commerce continue to look for cost-savings by renegotiating existing contracts, continue vacancy savings and begin to reduce its reliance on the General Fund.

The Governor’s budget also streamlines and modernizes the agency. Specifically, under the direction of the new Director, Don Cardon, Commerce will look at its internal processes and programs to ensure that they are in line with the mission of Commerce – to spur and grow economic development for all of Arizona. The Executive budget also lays out a plan for long term fiscal planning and stability.

In total, the Executive budget proposes over $1 billion in spending cuts, maximum utilization of federal stimulus funds, including those for the State Energy Office housed in Commerce, and a temporary one percent sales tax increase. This sales tax increase is expected to garner approximately $1 billion in additional revenue, that when paired with other fiscal tactics, not budgetary gimmicks, will help Arizona recover.

As a key stakeholder, we ask for your support of the Governor’s budget proposal as this process moves forward. The timing of your support is crucial, as there are only a few days left before the beginning of the fiscal year.

For additional information on the impact of the Governor’s budget to the State of Arizona, please visit: http://www.governor.state.az.us/ and click on the “Building a Better Arizona” link.

Also, if you are interested in contacting your legislator, please visit the Arizona Legislature’s website at : http://www.azleg.gov/MemberRoster.asp for contact information. If you are unsure of your elected officials, you can easily find your legislators by visiting the Arizona Independent Redistricting Commission website at: http://azredistricting.org/mapping/default2.asp?tname=Interim.2009.Legislative.Map&service=ircmaps&Layer4=on&Layer1=on&action=zoomin&ActiveLayer=16
As always, thank you for your continued support of the Arizona Department of Commerce. We look forward to working with you during these rough times and for the future ahead.

Kerri Morey
Director of Public Policy
Arizona Department of Commerce
602-771-1175


Karla Castro Teixeira
Arizona Department of Commerce
International Business Development Manager
International Trade and Investment Division
1700 W. Washington Street, Suite 220
Phoenix, Arizona 85007

The Governor and Others Talking Global

There are three global events coming up that are great opportunities to interact with the international community of Phoenix.

On September 17th, the World Affairs Council of Arizona is hosting an event with Lee Knowlton of Kahala Corp (Cold Stone Creamery) on being a global citizen. The event is a dinner that starts at 5:30pm and you can find out more at www.wacaz.org. If you would like to sit with the AZIGG group, please let me know.

On September 29th, the Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations with support from AZIGG and many other local international groups is hosting the 5th Annual International State of the State with Governor Janet Napolitano. The event is a lunch that starts at 11:30am and you can find out more at www.pcfraz.org. I’ll be sitting at one of two WACAZ tables ;-)

On October 6th, the Arizona International Growth Group (AZIGG) is hosting our 1st Anniversary meeting at Jobing.com near 22nd and Camelback. Our speaker is the one and only Rod Miller of the Greater Phoenix Economic Council (GPEC). It starts at 7:30am and includes juice, coffee and Greek pastries. Signup here: www.azigg.com.

Can’t decide? See you at all of them.

Doug Bruhnke
President of AZIGG
CEO of Growth Nation

Next AZIGG Meetings 10/6am and 11/3pm

The Arizona International Growth Group (AZIGG) had another excellent crowd - 135 - at the headquarters of Cold Stone Creamery on August 15th. Thank you to Lee Knowlton - President of International for Kahala Corporation - for hosting us.

Our next AZIGG meeting is the first Monday in October - October 6th - featuring Rod Miller of GPEC (Greater Phoenix Economic Council). Rod will be presenting his 'International State of the State' that is now an annual event at AZIGG. We'll be at Jobing.com - near 22nd and Camelback. Start time is 7:30am.

Our November meeting is another special one - on the night before the Presidential Election. On Monday evening November 3rd we'll be at Thunderbird School of Global Management and we'll be treated to presentations by successful alumni of Thunderbird. This is a joint meeting with the Thunderbird alumni association.

Thanks to everyone for your support of AZIGG. More info here: http://www.azigg.com/

All the best, Doug

Doug Bruhnke
AZIGG & Growth Nation
Scottsdale, AZ USA

AZIGG Celebrates One Year in Phoenix

It was nearly one year ago (October, 2007) that we started AZIGG - Arizona International Growth Group. Thanks to our first speaker Rod Miller of GPEC, who got us off to a fast start.

Before that first meeting I was wondering why Phoenix didn't have a business group where former expatriates like me could get together with other international folks, and where Arizona-based companies could go to get help and advice to take their business global. Why not?

The two premier groups in the Valley are mostly non-business: Phoenix Committee on Foreign Relations (http://www.pcfraz.org/) and the World Affairs Council of Arizona (http://www.wacaz.org/). They're both excellent - I'm a member of each - but they don't meet the business side of things like I wanted. And so I was thinking that if I could start a group that was more business oriented, some of the PCFR and WACAZ members might be interested, and off we go.

Before I sent out that first e-mail I thought we'd get 30-50 people, and I went ahead to book Dave Sherman's Training Center. Within an hour of sending an e-mail, 50 people had signed up. Oooops - - - we moved to Jobing.com! Holly Schor and Don Mock of Jobing.com are wonderful - - - and they put up with too many people and too many cars at that first and subsequent meeting. We got 'er done thanks to the Jobing.com team!

We've subsequently moved to larger venues like Sassi in Scottsdale and the Maricopa County Board of Supervisors Auditorium. AZIGG was started! Andres Chagolla of MCBiz and his team have also been extraordinary in helping us get off the ground and keep it going and growing. Thanks Andres and Nelson!?

A lot of the interest in that first meeting was for Rod Miller, VP of International for Greater Phoenix Economic Council (http://www.gpec.org/). Rod is extraordinary - - - his international background impeccable - - - and he is an amazingly effective ambassador for Arizona.

Many thanks to all the internationalists who have made it possible, especially Kim Kubsch and the board of AZIGG http://www.azigg.com/.

There have been many community leaders who have helped out - including Susan Schultz of PCFR, Sharon Wilkinson of WACAZ, Steve Zylstra of AZ Tech Council, Glenn Williamson and CABC, etc etc. There are too many to count - and so thank you to all!

Thanks for visiting our blog. I'll take a few steps back to get you caught up and then hopefully keep it going and current from our next meeting October 6, 2008 - - - again with Rod Miller!

All the best, Doug

Doug Bruhnke

Founder/President of AZIGG http://www.azigg.com/

CEO of Growth Nation http://www.growthnation.com/